End Of Days
by Jen1978
Summary: The end of days is coming. Judgement is upon them and the final battle for their souls is about to begin. Last chapter to the REVELATIONS and PACES trilogy (on hiatus)
1. Prologue

Prologue

It has been a long time and a lot has happened during all those years of my absence. I am sorry for not being here. But in the years that passed and those that are behind me, a lot of pain and misery came into my life… so much that it numbed me and rendered me incapable of thought, inspiration and denied me the will to do anything that mattered.

So this is my way of putting all that behind me and hopefully finding a light at the end of all this darkness that has surrounded me all those years.

But the funny thing is that no matter what was going on, there was always a little afterthought at the back of my mind, like a distant almost forgotten dream… and that was my stories.

So no matter how much it costs me, I am planning to finish it, this time.

This is the last and final installment of the series and it has taken me a long time to figure out a way to connect them all in a way. I am sorry to say that it would be best if you have read all five previous installments (the Paces trilogy and this one) to completely understand the conclusion. I didn't plan on connecting this trilogy to the first one, but as usual, the idea came to me in a dream and I just couldn't let it go. I could put in here a summary of what has transpired so far but I won't because I don't want to spoil the surprise to those who have been following the stories so far.

Not all previous characters will be making an appearance.

#########

Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this story belong to themselves.

WARNING: This story contains extreme violence, serious angst, psychological trauma, M/M relations and religious themes. If you feel uncomfortable with any of the above, please don't read. Some of the issues handled in the chapters to come do not express the true beliefs of the writer. Feel free for any questions, criticism and observations.

#########

Now… like I have said before…

Close the door behind you.

Turn off the light.

Are you alone?

Good.

Don't be afraid.

Come in… let us take the final drop into the abyss.

#########

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow —

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less _gone_?

 _All_ that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand —

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep — while I weep!

O God! Can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

 _One_ from the pitiless wave?

Is _all_ that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream

A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

#########

He opens his eyes and they feel dry. He blinks and they sting but after a few times, they don't hurt any more. He looks around him. He is standing on the pavement in a big city. Tall buildings around him, big stores and bright neon signs surround him.

It might be New York. He doesn't recall… maybe Chicago. It is night and it's hard to tell. There are no people around him, which is strange. A city this big! And in a central place like this, it should be bursting with life. But there is no one. It feels strange and he is no stranger to weird.

Then he realizes there is something else wrong. He ears pop and the air starts to grow thin; like they do when he is in an airplane.

Then all sounds are silenced. He feels like he is a void. He reaches and touches a stop sign by the side of the road. It starts to vibrate and the dissolves into sand. The ground beneath his feet also vibrates. In the distance he can see the landscape beginning to change. Tall sky scrapers fold onto themselves, like a piece of paper folding in two and then in four.

The concrete pavement under him is shifting and turns into sand much like the stop sign a few moments ago.

Then he realizes the air smells differently. It is saltier… He closes his eyes. This rapid change although doesn't scare him, it makes him dizzy. He closes his hands into fists and waits.

When he feels the change coming to a halt, he opens his eyes again. After all he has experienced and learnt so far, there are not many things that surprise him anymore.

He finds himself standing on top of a dune; no trees around him, just a large steep mountainside on his right, extending into the sea before him. It's night and although he can't see any clouds in the sky, the moon is nowhere to be seen. Strangely, he finds that he can see clearly in a big distance. His eyes travel from the mountainside to the shore and his gaze falls upon a form lying on the sand. Half the body is in the water, the gentle waves licking the right side of the form.

Mark Callaway is certain the water is cold because every time he exhales he can see his breath coming out in white clouds. The form shows no signs of life. He decides to go down and take a closer look. He can't shake the nagging feeling that he or the form before him is not supposed to be here. He descends from the dune and takes a few more steps towards the form.

It is a man.

He takes one more step and freezes in place. His eyes open wide and his lips open to a silent gasp. His mind races and his fingers become ice cold. He simply cannot take another step.

This is not possible.

The man starts to move.

"No" Mark whispers, his breath feeling colder, "It cannot be… you are dead!"

Mark takes a small step back feeling his breath quicken. The man opens his eyes slowly and his hands reach up and touch his own face, as if he is waking up from a long deep sleep. He doesn't seem to acknowledge the Dead Man's presence behind him.

Mark keeps staring at him. He makes no mistake. Those blond hair, the tall frame of the body, muscular and tattooed, and those green eyes he had last seen many many years ago.

"It is not possible" he says aloud.

Upon hearing those words, the man's head turns around and looks at Mark. He looks lost, confused and maybe afraid. But he doesn't look scared of him. Maybe because Mark has the same look upon his face. He has been around for many years to know the difference between dream and reality.

And he has been around even longer to know that once you are dead, you cannot come back to life. And Mark knows this is not a dream. He went to sleep last night and he woke up here without any knowledge of how he got there…

Or who brought him here.

But the sight of the man in front of him makes him realize that the waiting is over. If what he sees is real, then the board is set and the pieces are indeed, once again, moving… The last remaining horsemen must be making a move.

And if the dead are coming to life, then he must prepare for the final battle.

He continues to stare the man, who is now up on his feet.

"Where am I?" he asks.

The words echo in Mark's ears waking him up from his thoughts. He has no answer. But he has a question.

"Who are you?"

The blond man blinks a few times and looks at his own body, as if looking at it for the first time. He stutters.

"I… I don't know… I ca… I can't remember" he says, fear filling him. He looks at his hands and steps back, his feet touching the cold water. "Help me… please" he pleads as his breath quickens and his chest feels like it's about to explode.

Mark realizes the sincerity of the feelings the man expresses but he keeps a little of the suspicion and his guard up. He knows too well the games the demons play. And sometimes the vessels don't know they are possessed until the very end.

"Will you help me?" he asks again, his voice trembling… maybe from fear… maybe from the cold.

Mark knows he can't leave him here… wherever here is. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as they say. Friend or foe, it is better if he takes the man with him, back home… back to Jeff, despite the dangers it may bring. Leaving him alone is just not an option. Not at this time. Not if the horsemen are going to be making their move soon.

"I will try and help you, but you have to come with me"

The blond man shakes his head agreeing. By now his arms are wrapped around his body, the cold having spread to his entire body.

They take a few steps in the sand, leaving the sea behind them. The sound of their steps in the sand is soothing. They reach the top of the dune.

"Where are we?" he asks again.

Mark is silent for a few moments. Finally he says.

"Not far from home"

"Where are we going?"

"Home… we are going home"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Friedrich Nietzsche

#############

A few years have gone by, passing cruel memories and terrifying events into oblivion... almost.

Sometimes Jeff thought of his family, those he loved, those that he had to leave behind and all those he had to abandon, only because he wanted to save them from doom, misery and terror. They had suffered enough because of him. And they didn't need that kind of horror in their lives. Already those surrounding him had been through a lot. Deep inside he knew it wasn't really his fault, but he also knew that most of the times, ignorance is bliss. He had fought tooth and nail to put the memories behind him and he tried to convince himself that he had done so. With the help of his only two remaining friends, Dave and Mark, and thanks to the passing time, the moments of fright were becoming rarer.

But there were times where the shear horror would take over… the remembrance of what had transpired… the pain, the humiliation, the dread and the guilt were sometimes too much. At those times, Mark had told him to try and focus on the good things in his life, no matter how hard it seemed.

' _Because there ARE good things in your life.'_

That train of thought sometimes lead to the faint memory of his mother and the ominous warning she had given him. Jeff didn't remember much about it anymore. He wasn't sure if he had indeed died back then and his mother had talked to him from the other side or if it had all been a dream.

Other times Mark would catch him staring into a wall, having severed all contact from the physical world. Talking him out of it was impossible. It was only with touch he was able to come back to reality, but with no memory of what he had been thinking.

' _Was I lost again?'_ he would ask.

A nod.

' _I' m sorry'_ he would say looking at Mark.

' _What are you sorry for?'_

' _I'm not sure. It feels like I should be though'_

Dave's absence those days only made matters worse. He had received a phone call informing him of his mother's sudden illness and since things had calmed down the last few years, he had left for a few days. He had been reluctant leaving Jeff and Mark alone, but it was in Jeff's insistence that he had decided to take a few days and go be with her.

' _Just because I can't see my family doesn't mean that you have to as well. Our families are important and you should hold them close to you as long as you can.'_ Jeff had told him one night. They were in bed, late, sleep eluding them.

' _I'm afraid of leaving you alone'_

' _I won't be alone. Mark is here and you won't be long… Mothers are important. You should go and see her… tell her how much you love her… now that she is still alive… trust me…. I know'_ Jeff's voice had trailed off.

 _Dave had leaned over and kissed him._

The next morning he had left them.

This separation now worried Mark. At first he didn't see anything wrong with Dave leaving, but since he had been gone, Jeff was more and more frequently getting lost in thought. And him, not remembering what he had been dreaming of, really worried him.

Maybe he had done a mistake giving him the feather back then. Maybe the feather was not so pure after all and maybe…

Mark would shake his head. It did him no good going down that rabbit hole again; too many possibilities and no answers. After the last events, they had spent many days, weeks even months searching for anything that would help them, show them a way to defeat the two remaining horsemen or even figure out what their plan was. They had managed to defeat two of them and Lucifer's angel but had they really stopped their plans for the Antichrist? What were they waiting for? Mark knew they had little hope of finding anything to begin with. This was, to the best of his knowledge, uncharted territory. They were making history.

Too bad no one would ever know.

Their situation was quite unique and he doubted mankind had dealt with this in the past. This was the reason they couldn't find anything to help them. They were the first…

And possibly the last.

And as time passed and the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months and years, they just stopped looking. But they didn't forget…

Jeff would never forget…

But time has a weird sense of humor. It numbs the pain, clouds the mind and gives hope. That was the price of mortality, Mark had told him one night.

" _The mind cannot keep lingering on death and horror for too long without snapping. It is an automatic mechanism, one we are born with"_

Mark didn't blame them for letting go. He was sure that Jeff hadn't forgotten. All the nightmares and the tortures he had suffered would forever stain his soul, but his heart had grown weary of the waiting and the searching. Mark on the other hand was trained for that.

But what really concerned him was Jeff and the times he would catch him in a semi vegetated state, non responsive to sound or vision. What worried him was what if next time, touch wouldn't be able to bring him back.

' _Where do you go when you are getting lost like this?'_

' _I… I don't really remember… nowhere I guess'_

' _Do you recall thinking something before spacing out?'_

Negative.

' _No… nothing. I can't remember thinking anything. I have tried many times, but every time I do it, I keep getting lost again. It feels like I keep going round in circles. One thing I do remember…'_

' _What?'_

' _Darkness'_

' _What do you mean?''_

' _I mean I don't know if I'm dreaming of anything. When I wake up all I remember is darkness… numbness… like the void…'_

Mark had asked for details.

' _Well, I think of it as a memory. Real memories, I know how they make me feel, I know when they happened … but when I do lose time, there is nothing… no thought, no memory, no recollection what I was thinking or what I was feeling. At first I tried to think of it as sleeping… but… when we're sleeping we always have dreams…'_ Jeff had stopped for a moment, chasing the nightmares away _._

' _But when I get lost, I don't dream'_ he had finished.

Mark had frowned. He hadn't liked what he had been hearing.

 **XXX**

Jeff woke up in his bed, in Mark's house. It was quiet as always but Mark didn't make any noise anyway. He got up, his head feeling a little heavier than usual. Had he been sleeping or had he lost time again? How long had he been out cold? His legs felt shaky but managed to steady himself and walk to the living room. He looked around but he couldn't see his friend anywhere.

"Mark?" he asked. He checked outside but he wasn't there either. 'Strange' he thought. When he was left alone, he knew about it. His friend would never leave without telling him. He picked up his phone and dialed his number.

Straight to voicemail.

The time was late. It looked like he had slept throughout the night and the next day. It was almost night again. He guessed he had another hour maybe before sunset and that worried him. A nagging feeling started to grow in his heart; a hint of fear. He thought of calling Dave. Talking to him always made him feel better, but he decided against it. There was no reason in worrying him. He decided he would wait for Mark.

He walked to the bathroom to take a shower. Removing his clothes, he looked at his refection in the mirror. The face that looked back seemed unfamiliar. Hollow eyes with dark circles surrounded by long blond hair that had a long time ago returned to their natural color; tattoos that run from his fingers to his neck; skin whiter than usual. He shook his head in disappointment. He found it harder and harder to like what he saw. Lately he seemed to be the shadow of the man he used to be.

Lately a new fear had started to grow in his heart… a fear that something was closing in on them; that the end was coming. But he hadn't spoken to Mark about it. He didn't want to because talking about it made it real. And although he wanted it all to end, not knowing how it would end left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even if, against all odds, they won, then what? Could he go back to the way life was before? How could he? He was way too damaged for that. He had passed the point of believing in happy endings.

There would be no happy ending for Jeff Hardy.

Of course no one knew about those thoughts, but he had a suspicion that Mark understood more than he led on.

He rubbed his face and hunched his shoulders, feeling them stiff. He felt all energy leaving him. He wanted to go back to bed… sleep and don't wake up.

Feeling disappointed of himself, he started to turn away, when a spot caught his eye. He turned his back to the mirror to see better.

There it was. A spot on his back. Right in the middle, under his tattoo. He couldn't reach it, but he could see it clearly. It looked like a bruise.

"What the hell!" he exclaimed. It didn't hurt. Maybe he had hurt himself in his sleep. He shook his head, trying to chase the bad feeling away and got in the shower.

It didn't help much.

He had hoped Mark would be back by the time he had finished.

He wasn't.

He got dressed and decided to wait until nightfall outside.

He sat on the porch, his eyes looking at the dirt road that lead to the house. The sun was beginning to set casting a magnificent deep orange glow to the entire sky. Jeff thought this was the best part of the day. The colors in the sky varied from season to season. Sometimes it was yellow, sometimes red, and sometimes a hint of blue lingered long enough for the sky to look like a rainbow. Those times he liked the most.

But the moment came and passed, and the sun disappeared. He called Mark again.

Voicemail.

It had been a long time since he had felt so alone. Dark was coming from the distance, night consuming everything. It looked like blackness was eating rapidly at the world and it was coming for him. The realization that all sounds of nature began to die down made him shiver. He didn't want to stay outside anymore. Mark had told him about darkness. He should be inside, closing the windows and locking the doors. A gust of wind blew, cold and sudden, making his skin crawl. He stood up and as he entered the house a thought passed his head.

What if he didn't come back?

What if he was all alone?

He heart started to beat faster.

No… his friend wouldn't leave him alone.

Would he? His skin crawled again and although he was inside, he could swear he felt the same gust of wind enveloping him, like a whisper.

He locked the door and the windows fast, like Hell was chasing him again, a sense of emergency filling him. Locking the last window, he turned and looked at the empty house.

What was this terror all of the sudden? Why did he feel like this? His mind told him he was being ridiculous but his heart was being consumed by fear all the same.

With his back to the wall he walked to the corner of the room and sat down, hugging his legs, making himself small.

'Come on… where are you?' he thought as he closed his eyes trying to make himself small.

He thought of getting up and turning on the lights, but that would mean he would have to step away from the corner he had decided to hide. So he stayed put.

He had no idea how long he had stayed like this, his head buried in his arms and legs, when he heard a noise.

Footsteps… two people, right outside the house. He held his breath fearing the worst. His back arched back trying to disappear in the wall. Someone unlocked the door and two shapes entered.

"Jeff? Are you there?" a familiar voice echoed.

A sigh of relief escaped Jeff's lips and he stood up.

Mark turned on the lights.

"What are you doing in the dark?"

Jeff froze, mouth agape, eyes wide open.

But no answer came. Speech was not something he was capable of at that moment. It wasn't the sight of Mark that had taken his breath away, but that of the man that stood beside him. He found his back was againt the wall again, wishing again all this was a dream.

Mark realized this and took a step forward, his hand reaching out to Jeff.

"It's alright. Don't be afraid" he said although he wasn't sure if he himself was not.

"But…" Jeff mumbled "he can't be here… he is dead" he said pointing at the man.

"I know… but I am here… and I won't let anything happen to you. Come and we will figure this out. Please Jeff, I can't do this without you"

Mark extended his hand, pleading Jeff to take it.

The man had no malice in his eyes. He looked lost and confused.

"He has no memory of who he is" Mark said. "He needs our help".

Jeff took a few reluctant steps forward, his eyes never leaving the man beside his friend.

"He will not hurt you"

"How is this possible? He died years ago" Jeff whispered. "You said that dead men don't come back… so how is he back?"

"I don't know yet… I went to sleep last night and I woke up on the beach. I don't know how I got there or how he got there, but I found him… and I couldn't leave him there. For good or bad, I feel he has some role to play in all this, and I couldn't let the other side take him"

"The other side?" Jeff said through gritted teeth "What if the other side sent him?"

"What other side?" the man finally spoke. "I don't even remember who I am!"

Jeff took a step closer to the man, his anger erasing all traces of fear.

"Your name is Adam Copeland… and ten years ago, you were murdered"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For those of you out there who don't know, Adam Copeland is WWE's EDGE.

In the "Paces" trilogy, Adam was brutally murdered by some very disturbing individuals.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Memory, hither come,  
And tune your merry notes;  
And, while upon the wind  
Your music floats,

I'll pore upon the stream  
Where sighing lovers dream,  
And fish for fancies as they pass  
Within the watery glass.

I'll drink of the clear stream,  
And hear the linnet's song;  
And there I'll lie and dream  
The day along:

And, when night comes, I'll go  
To places fit for woe,  
Walking along the darken'd valley  
With silent Melancholy.

 **by William Blake**

#############

Three men were sitting in silence. There was no moon outside but they couldn't see that. All windows were shut but two of them knew already that the moon hadn't been shining in that part of the world for a while now.

Jeff felt numb. He still couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

Adam was alive.

He looked at the Canadian. He looked like the man he knew although he seemed lost and a little scared, something that he hadn't seen him do very often when he was alive. He hadn't been around when he had died, he wasn't in the WWE but he knew about him and Oscar; about them being brought together unexpectedly… kind of like him and Dave… by fate. Then, he remembered he had been back home in Cameron when he had gotten the news about his death… his murder. He remembered he had thought at first it was a joke, but he had gotten the confirmation a few minutes later when he had turned the TV on. He remembered the funeral… all of it… how his mind couldn't grasp the reality of it, although Adam hadn't been the first friend to die, he had been the first one to get murdered. Jeff also remembered that one night, not so long ago, after the events with Lucifer's angel, Mark had told him what had happened all those years ago… everything… and that included Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Adam's insane father and his torturous friends, what had happened between the possessed Dave and Oscar and the final tragic death of Oscar. Of course to Jeff, Oscar would forever be Rey Mysterio, a dear friend and a much beloved wrestler. Losing him had been a serious blow to the company, the fans and to him. Since that night, Jeff hadn't been the same. And it wasn't out of jealousy. He held nothing against Dave; he realized that it wasn't his or Rey's fault. It was more of a nagging feeling that his story would have the same ending as Adam's and Rey's. And for that he couldn't help but feel sorry and love for the man sitting in front him. He had convinced himself after much thought that if there was even a trace of Adam's soul in that body, he would help Mark save it and return it to be with Oscar's.

Jeff looked at his hands trying to pry his gaze away from Adam and Mark.

It was that Mark broke the silence.

"We have to figure out what this means"

Jeff looked at the dead man.

"How?" he asked and looked again at Adam.

"We have to make him remember… or maybe make him recall his last memories"

"My last memories…" he said almost to himself.

"Yes, the last thing you remember before waking up at the beach"

"How?" Jeff asked again. His palms felt sweaty.

Mark stood up and walked to the kitchen. A back pack lay on the table. He opened it and took out a silver flask.

"Before we try and make you remember we have to make sure" he stated and walked back to the two men. He handed the flask to Adam, who took it with a puzzled look on his face.

"What is it?"

"Drink" he ordered.

Adam opened it and before drinking the contents, he smelled the liquid.

"It's not liquor" he said looking at Jeff.

"Drink it" he ordered again. "It's not poison"

Hesitantly Adam brought it to his lips and took a sip.

And they waited.

Nothing.

"It's just water" he said as he handed the flask back to Mark.

"It's Holy Water"

Mark set the flask down and looked at Adam.

"I had to make sure you are not being possessed by a demon. If you were then your reaction to the Holy Water would be different"

"Different how?"

"Catastrophic… for the demon"

"Now what?" Jeff asked relaxing his palms. He wiped them on his jeans and allowed himself to take a breath.

"Now we hypnotize him… it is the safest way I know before we try anything else more drastic."

"Is it going to work? Has it worked before" Jeff asked.

"It always works, it's just that never before have I tried it on someone who has come back from the dead. I don't know what we're going to find… or who"

Mark looked at Adam.

"Well… are you up for it?"

"I don't know" Adam said somewhat stuttering.

"Do you trust me?" he asked looking directly to his eyes.

"I… don't even know you, how can I trust you"

"If we are going to find out what is happening you have to find it in your heart and trust me." He sat on his haunches, bringing his eye level to Adam's. "We don't want to hurt you… we are your friends. We have known you for a long time and believe me when I say that we will do anything to protect you. We will not let anything bad happen to you"

Adam looked at Jeff, who nodded affirmatively.

"I have known you since we were kids almost. We began our careers together and we were so good at it" Jeff said. "We have been through a lot in our lives and we always had each other's backs. We did some pretty cool stuff together and also some pretty funny and stupid stuff… but we always respected and loved each other… so trust us in this. We will do anything to protect you… I… I will not let anything happen to you" he voice broke at the end. He hated the idea of another one of his friends suffering because of him. It suddenly didn't matter he had come back from the dead. If this was indeed his long lost friend, then he would do anything… anything, to protect him.

Adam's eyes softened.

"Do you trust us?" Mark asked again placing a hand on Adam's knee.

"I trust that you want to help me. And I trust Jeff… I don't know why… but I think he really wants to help me… And I want to remember. I can't stand being in the dark… so yes… I want you to hypnotize me"

Mark offered him his hand and helped him stand up.

"Take a step forward" he asked Adam still holding his hand. "Relax. Don't be afraid." His voice became softer and quieter, almost soothing. Adam allowed himself to relax and rest his hand in Mark's. His cool touch was comforting and light. It felt like his hand was resting on top of Mark's. "Stand with your feet together… relax your shoulders… take a deep breath…"

He looked into his eyes. Calm, relaxing, soft. Mark's other hand came to rest on the back of his neck. It too felt cool and peaceful and he welcomed the touch. It seemed to alleviate some of the stress.

"Relax… take a deep breath… look into my eyes… trust me…" his voice become lower, almost a whisper.

Jeff too began to relax a little. Still sitting on the couch however he couldn't help but feel a little anxious about what was about to happen. The calming effect that Mark's voice was having was incredible.

A few moments passed as Mark repeated to Adam to relax, breathe and look deeper and deeper into his eyes. Adam seemed to fall into a trance. His body relaxed and his eyes softened, never turned away from Mark's.

Then suddenly he gripped Adam's hand deathly tight, and pulled him sharply towards him, his other hand never leaving the back of his neck.

"SLEEP" he screamed.

And with those words, Adam's body became limp; as if he had suddenly died. Mark didn't let him fall, but instead grabbed him and gently sat him back down on the chair he had been sitting previously. Mark looked back at Jeff who had frozen in place from the shock. His eyes told him not to speak a single word. This moment was the beginning of something seriously dangerous.

As soon as Adam was resting back, Mark took another chair and brought it right in front of him.

"Your eyes are very heavy and completely relaxed. All the muscles around your eyes are relaxed and your eyelids are very heavy. On the count of three and not before, I will ask you to open your eyes, but you will not be able to open them. You are so relaxed and your eyelids are so heavy that you won't be able to open them...even when you try. Your eyelids are completely relaxed. Your eyes are completely relaxed and closed…

One… Your eyes are closed; completely closed. Relax your eyelids to the point that you cannot open your eyes if you try…

Two… You cannot open your eyes…

Three… Your eyes are tightly closed. Try opening them. You cannot open them. Now stop trying, and relax. Completely relax. Let your eyes and your entire body relax."

Mark turned to Jeff.

"He is asleep…"

"Now what?"

"Now we begin"

"From where?"

"From the night he died"

Mark turned and looked at the sleeping man on the chair. He looked relaxed.

"Adam… can you hear me?"

"…yes…" came the muffled response.

"I want you to go back to that night in the hotel… the night you died… can you do that for me?"

Adam's eyes frowned.

"… yes…"

"Can you tell me what you see?"

"I am in a hotel room… alone… it's night…"

"Is there anyone in there with you?"

"… no… I am alone… it's night… I can't sleep…"

"What are you doing now?"

"My neck hurts and memories keep me from sleeping…"

"What memories? Tell me…"

"A dream I had of my father… and Oscar… I miss him… and I worry about him being away from me"

"Why do you worry?"

"A feeling… something bad is going to happen"

"Calm down… it's alright. You are safe. Nothing is going to happen to you. I am here with you. What do you do next?"

"I go to the bathroom… but something…" Adam tensed and his face contorted in agony.

"Relax… relax… you are safe… now, is there anyone else in the room with you now?"

"I don't know. I need to call Rey… I need to hear him, make sure he is alright. But… but I turn to pick up my phone… and… and… oh my God… he is here… NO…"

Adam began to jerk violently. Mark touched his hand trying to relax him.

"It's ok… you are safe… this is just a memory…"

"I can see him… Someone is holding me from behind, and he… he is there… looking at me with those eyes… and… I feel the cold blade in my neck…please God… help me" Adam cried and grabbed his neck as if trying to cover a non-existent wound.

Then suddenly the crying stopped and Adam slumped back on the chair. Mark turned and looked at the horrified Jeff. They had just witnessed his last moments. They had just witnessed his murder.

Jeff didn't dare speak. He wanted to cry but the horror was much more than the sorrow.

Mark took a few breaths trying to compose himself and think of what to ask next. He closed his eyes and focused. He still held Adam's hand, held it lightly.

He opened his eyes, darker now, more than usual… more focused and determined.

' _Here we go'_ Jeff thought and squeezed his palms into fists.

"Where are you now?" Mark asked with a steady clear voice.

"I… can't see… it is dark…"

"Look around you… let your eyes adjust… relax, calm yourself… breathe… you are safe… I am here with you"

A few moments passed. Adam's breathing became steadier. The eyes behind the lids moved around as if looking, searching.

"I… I can see a light… in the distance…"

"What color is the light?"

"It's a pale white light…"

Mark froze.

Darkness.

Pale light.

This can't be good.

"I walk towards the light" Adam spoke

"No… stop" Mark ordered "don't go into that light"

"I can see someone… he is waiting for me… he waves at me…"

"Adam stop… don't go… turn around" Mark almost begged.

"I can't stop. He is pulling me…" Adam tensed again "My God… he is not Oscar… help me… I can't turn away…"

"Mark… wake him up" Jeff begged "please, this is dangerous".

"Adam… I am going to count to three… when I reach three you are going to wake up, feeling rel…"

"He is here" Adam whispered and his breath came out cold and shivery. "He has come"

XXXX


End file.
